There are, of course, many differing types of locks that are currently available on the market. There are a number of design criteria for locks in general, that is, the lock must certainly be sufficiently rugged so as to withstand tampering or the attempt by someone to thwart the integrity of the lock to gain entry to the locked premises. Typically, with conventional padlocks, the padlock is a prime target for the insertion of a prybar intermediate the lock body and the curved movable component to attempt to defeat the purpose of the lock. Alternatively, the hardware securing the padlock to the secured premises is also a target for a prybar such that the hardware itself can be removed or broken and the padlock left in tact.
Accordingly, not only is it important that the lock be sufficiently rugged so as to withstand attempts at its breakage but it would also be advantageous for the lock to be designed so as to minimize points of entry of a prybar or other device that could be used to gain leverage in order to defeat the purpose of the lock.
Furthermore, it is important to provide a means for the locking and safeguard of material for those individuals who are blind or who are visually impaired. As such, it would be advantageous to have a locking device that is tactile in nature and provides service for such persons as well as provide a means to secure and open a lock with limited lighting or in the dark.
Additionally, it is also important for commercial locks to be manufacturable at a low cost so as to be competitive in the marketplace and, therefore it would be advantageous for such locks to take advantage, to the extent possible, of the use of relatively inexpensive, mass produced, molded components constructed of high impact plastic materials in order to gain the advantage of producing a low cost lock which is also rugged in accordance with the prior criteria. Thus, the advantage of a low cost lock can be achieved without sacrificing the integrity of the lock by the design of a lock that can utilize certain molded plastic components in its construction.
As a further criteria of locks, albeit not as important as the prior described criteria, it is advantageous for the lock to have a good appearance so as to be esthetically pleasing within the particular environment where it is being used, including the interior of a home or dwelling place so that the lock does not detract from the overall appearance or decor of the living quarters.
As such, it would be advantageous to have a lock assembly that is sufficiently rugged so as to withstand attempts at tampering, economical to produce by taking advantage of certain easy to mass-produce plastic materials, and yet have a esthetically pleasing overall appearance.